Photographic-plate holder.



No. '683,|46. Patented Sept. 24, l90l.

W. L. ROBERTSON.

PHOTUGRAPHIC PLATE HOLDER.

(Application Mod July a, 1001.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM L. ROBERTSON, OF LEBANON, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

PHOTOGRAPHlC-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,146, dated September 24, 1901. Application filei July 8, 1901. Serial No. 67,482. (No model.)

To (all 2070mm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. ROBERT- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic- Ilate Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a photographicplate holder, a device to be employed in the manipulation of plates in the developing and fixing solutions.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder of this character which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparatively inexpensive of production, and by means of which the operator may readily engage or take hold of the plate without the necessity of first lifting the plate up in the tray or raising it from the surface upon which it may be supported, as is now usual, the construction of the device being such as to enable the operator to handle the plate with perfect securityduring all stages of developing and fixing the negative.

\Vith this and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the holder in the act of picking up the plates lying upon a flat surface. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the plates supported by the holder. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the holder, and Fig. i is a siulilarview of the bow-spring.

The holder comprises two counterpart bars 1, the upper ends of which are preferably connected together by a bow-spring 2, which engages With its ends kerfs 3, formed in the outer faces of the bars. To prevent shifting of the spring with respect to the bars or the shifting of the bars one with respect to the other, the ends of the spring are preferably serrated or formed with saw-teeth, which more securely hold the spring and bars in proper relation. The inner faces of the upper ends of the bars are preferably round, so as to have a rocking movement upon each other in the spreading apart of the bars against the tension of the spring. The lower ends of the bars are provided with in wardlyprojecting hooks or flanges 4, which are bev eled, so as to produeea sharp edge, which in engaging the bars with the plate will more readily pass under the edges of the plate,and thereby render it wholly unnecessary for the operator to lift the plate before engaging the holder therewith. Immediately above these hooks on the inner faces of the bars are formed grooves 5, which form seats for the edges of the plate.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that when the plate is lying upon a flat surface the holder may be readily engaged therewith by first spreading apart and placing the lower ends of the bars at the opposite edges of the plates and permitting the beveled hooks or flanges to slip under the edges of the plate. In this position the plate may be lifted and may be manipulated in the usual manner, and this may be done without subjecting the hand of the operator to the injurious effects of the chemicals used in developing and fixing photographic negatives.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A photographic-plate holder, consisting of two bars, the inner faces of the upper ends of which are rounded and the outer faces of which are provided with transverse kerfs and the lower ends of which are provided with inwardly-projecting books or fiangeshaving sharp edges above which are formed seats, and a bow-spring extending over the upper ends of said bars and having serrated ends to engage said transverse kerfs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 WILLIAM L. ROBERTSON. Witnesses:

F. H. HOSFORD, C. J. RICHARDSON. 

